Chimney-flue cleaner.



P. BEDFORD & A. DURAND.

GHIMNEY FLUE CLEANER.

APPLIUATION FILED 11:13.28, 1912.

LUI/0,662, Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

nutrito srarns PATENT @FiF/F.

FRANK BEDFORD, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, AND .ADELARJD DURAND, OF GASLYN, WISCONSIN.

CHIMNEY-FLJ'E CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Ane. 19,191.3.

To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that we, FRANK BEDFORD a-nd AnnLAnn DURAND, citizens of the United States, residing at Minneapolis and Gaslyn, respectively, in the counties of Hennepin and Burnett, respectively, and States of Minnesota and Wisconsin, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chimney-Flue Cleaners; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 1

Our inventionrhas for its object t-o provide an improved chimney flue cleaner, and to this end it consists of the -novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a view partly in vertical section and partly in side elevation showing the improved devicel applied in workingposition to a chimney; Fig. 2 is a transverse horizontal section taken on the line m2 m2 o-f Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail view partly in plan and partly in horizontal section showing the winding drums; Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line m4 :1:4 of Fig. 3; andFig. 5 is-a detail view in vertical section taken on the line 00.5 m5 of Fig; 1.

The numeral 1v indicates a chimney having the customary flue 2. Extending over the upper end of the chimney 1, is a vertically extended arch bar 3. The depending ends of the arch bar Bare rigidly secured to opposite sides of a clamping band 4 Awhich embraces the extreme upper end of the chimney 1. Swiveled to the intermediate portion of the arch bar 3, directly above the chimney flue 2, is a depending sheave 5.

Mounted. `within the chimney Hue 2, for

vertical movement fro-m the top to the bottom thereof, is a pair of brush supporting yokes 6. These yokes 6 are constructed from spring metal bars, placed at right angles to eachother and rigidly secured together at their intermediate crossed portions by means of an upwardly projecting eye-bolt 7. To each ofthe depending arms of the yokes 6 is rigidly secured, at its back portion, a horizontally extended brush 8. rlhese brushes 8 are formed with outwardly projecting stift' wire bristles which are yieldingly pressed against the walls of the chimney flue 2 by means o-f the yokes 6. The brushes 8, carried by each yoke 6, extend in the saine hori- AZontal plane with their bristles projecting' in opposite directions so as to be operative reference to Figs. 1 and2, it will be noted that one set of the brushes 8 work slightly above the other set thereof, in order that the brushes may extend the full width of the chimney flue 2. With the brushes thus arranged, the vchimney flue 2 may be thoroughly cleaned its full width on all sides. The yokes 6 are suspended within the chimney flue 2 by means of an operating wire cable 9 passed over the sheave 5. Embedded in opposite walls of the chimney 1, and near lthe lower end thereof, is a pair of axially alined bearings 10 and 11. These bearings 10 and 11 are substantially identical one with the other and are each longitudinally divided, and each section thereof is formed with an internal half seat 12. Rot-atively mounted in the bearing 10 is a hollow horizontally extended shaft 13 provided with a collar 14 that works within the half seats 12 o-f the bearing 10 and holds the shaft 13 against endwise movement. The outer end of the shaft 13 projects outside of the chimwhich a crank may be applied for the pur pose of rotating the shaft 13. The inner end of the shaft 13 projects within the chimney flue 2 and terminates at the'central portion thereof. Keyed to the inner end of the shaft 13, is a winding drum 16 on which the lower end of the cable 9 is adapted to be wound for raising the yokes 6 and attached brushes S within the chimney flue.

Rotatively mounted within and projecting completely through the hollow shaft 13, is a shaft 17, one end of which is provided with a collar 18 that works within the half seats 12 of the bearing 11 and holds the shaft 17 against endwise movement. The other end of the shaft 17 terminates in a squared end 19 to which a crank may be applied fo the purpose of rotating the shaft 17. Adj cent to the winding drum 16, the shaft 17 is profvided with a hub portion 20, to which is keyed a second winding drum 21 identical in form with the winding drum 16. A crank on opposite walls of the chimney flue 2. By

ney 1 and terminates in a'squared end 15 to 22 having a large and a small socket 23, adapted to tit either one of the squared 'portions 15 and 19 of the shafts 13 and 17, is provided for the purpose of rotating the drums 16 and 21.

A tie plate 26 is connected to the free ends of the yokes 6 by means of short chains 27. To the intermediate portion of the tie plate 26, is secured a depending loop 28 to which is secured, one end of a wire cable 29. The other end of the cable 29 is secured to, and is adapted to be wound upon, the drum 21 for the purpose of returning the brushes 8 from the top to the bottom of the chimney 1. y

For the purpose of guiding the cables 9 and 29 on the drums 16 and 21, a U-shaped guard bar 30 is provided. Thisguardbar 30 embraces the two drums 16 and 21 and its ends are loosely journaled, one on the shaftv 13 and the other on the shaft 17. The intermediate portion of the guard bar 30 extends parallel With the aXis of the drums 16 and 21 and is located close to the peripheries of the flanges thereof. On the inner face ofl 21 and the guard bar 30. Secured to the intermediate portion of the guard bar 30 is a tie rod 32, the ends of which are embedded in the Walls of the chimney 1 and hold the guard bar 30 properly positioned.

The operation of the improved device may be briey stated as follows: By rotating the shaft. 13 and connected drum 16, by means of the crank 22, the cable 9 may b e Wound upon the drum16. At the same time the cable 9 is Wound upon the drum 16, the cable 29 is unwound from thedrum 21 and Vice versa. As the brushes 8 are drawn upward over the walls of the chimney fiue 2, their stili wire bristles will loosen the soot adhering thereto. If the brushes S, in their upward movement, engage a projecting brick or piece of mortar, the yokes 6 will yield and permit the brushes to pass thereover. It is also evident that by yicldingly mounting the brushes 8, the improved device may be used in chimneys that are Constructed with portions of their iues at angles to the main tlues. In which ease, the spring arms will yield and permit the brushes to pass over the angles in the flues. ATo return the brushes S to the bottom of the flue 2, the crank 22 is applied to the squared port-ion 19 of the shaft 17 and the shaft rotated in a reversed direction from that which the shaft 13 was rotated to elevate the brushes. Under this rotation of the shaft 17, the cable 29 is wound onto the drum 21 andthe cable 9 will be unwound from the drum 16. Incase the brushes 8 engage any obstructions during their return movement, the tension.on the cable 29 will draw the brushes 8 inward against the tension of the spring arms of the yokes 6 thereby permitting said brushes to ,pass the obstruction. By placingthe sheave above the top of the chimney 1, as shown in Fig. 1, the brushes 8 may be drawn to the very top of the chimney flue 2, thereby cleaning the same its full length.

In actual usage, theabove described device has been found highly eiicient. for the purpose had in View.

`What we claim is: l. A chimney flue cleaner comprising a pair of spring yokes connected at their in# termediate portions and extendingA at an angle to each other, a brush near each end of each of said spring yokes, reversely extended cable connections, one of which is secured to the crossed portions of said spring yokes and the other of which is. secured to the free ends of said spring yokes, and means to support and actuate the cable connections to raise and lower the cleaner, substantially as described.

2. A chimney flue cleaner comprising 4aA pair of spring yokes connected at their intermediate portions and extending at an angle to each other, brushes arranged in pairs and located one above the other and secured to the free ends of said spring yokes, flexible connections connecting the free ends of said spring yokes, reversely extended cable connections, one of which is secured to the crossed portions of said spring yoke and the other of which is secured to the said flexible connections, and means to support and aotuate the cable connections to raise and lower the cleaner, substantially as described.

n testimony whereof we aftix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

` FRANK BEDFORD.

ADELARD DURAND.` Witnesses:

B. Gr. WHEELER, F. D. MERCHANT. 

